The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved design requirements for certain parts of the Airbus A321XLR aircraft that address safety issues related to the rear center tank (RCT).
The new Airbus A321XLR promises autonomy worthy of long-haul, up to 8700 kilometers.
For such performance, the manufacturer took into account the installation of an additional tank in the central area, which caused a lot of controversy in the aeronautical industry, including among the rival Boeing.
In this context, the authorities specialized in design, safety and operation have issued several directives. Even the FAA has published a document requesting the manufacturer Airbus to make some changes to the A321XLR fuselage. Because the RTC tank is located in the lower fuselage area, which partially replaces the rear cargo compartment, the FAA required Airbus to modify the fuselage in the tank area.
That area must be fireproof, lessening potential safety risks for passengers, according to the document.
The change is necessary "to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by existing airworthiness standards," the FAA said.
Industry sources are worried about the success of the new A321XLR because the new modifications come with more weight, which would detract from the performance originally announced.
The Airbus A321XLR is the largest aircraft in the A320neo range. It was launched at the 2019 Paris Air Show, and its main feature is related to its autonomy of up to 8700 kilometers. Thus air operators will be able to operate longer and cheaper flights compared to the operational cost of wide-body aircraft.
The new plane will be able to fly without problems between Rome and New York, Tokyo - Sydney or Houston - Santiago, thanks to an additional tank - Rear Center Tank (RCT). It will be able to carry between 180 and 200 passengers over long distances, but with a lower operational cost. The manufacturer promises a 30% reduction in fuel consumption compared to previous generations of equivalent aircraft.
The new A321XLR is in full testing. The first flight was operated in June 2022, with the first examples to be delivered in 2024. Initially, the A321XLR was supposed to enter operational service in 2022, but due to the pandemic, things have been extremely slow.